


From Three to Four

by SonjaJade



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-03 16:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8721409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonjaJade/pseuds/SonjaJade
Summary: Inspired by a RP session on Tumblr, this is the four part story of how Heymans and Rebecca bring their first child together into the world. When Braeda learned he was going to be a father to a child of his own, he was over the moon. Now that Rebecca's pregnancy is progressing, he just hopes he can hang in there for the reward at the end.





	1. Come Up Swingin'

**Author's Note:**

> Rebecca's mun created the backstory that she has a child by a Drachman, named Matvey, whom Braeda takes to raise as his own after they get married. So this is Rebecca's second pregnancy, but Braeda's first biological child by anyone.

Forget the promotion to Captain, the only title that meant anything to him anymore was “Dad”. He and Rebecca had announced her pregnancy a month ago, and though he loved being a dad to her son Matvey, there was nothing like knowing he was going to be an actual biological father to a child of his own.  
  
Falman had warned him, “Your wife's going to go through a lot of changes. Just remember to be extra patient and very forgiving.” Having two brats of his own, Braeda trusted his colleague's words, but hadn't had a problem at all out of Rebecca. She was just the same as she always was, maybe more tired than before.  
  
Good thing he was prepared for anything.  
  
One Wednesday evening after work, he came home to find Mat sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by a mess of toys, blankets, sippy cups and crumbs, and Rebecca nowhere to be seen. After being sure Mat wasn't sitting in a wet diaper, he picked the toddler up and carried him around the house until he found his wife, curled up in a ball by the foot of the bed, crying.  
  
“Becca!” Braeda gasped. He dashed to her side and dropped to his knees. “Honey, what's wrong? Is it the baby?”  
  
She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I'm sorry, I'm alright.” Her hand was lying on top of a photo album and she pushed it toward him. “I was looking at Mat's baby pictures and… and...” She started crying again, unable to finish her sentence.  
  
“Hang on, sweetie, let put Mat down for a nap. I'll be right back.”  
  
He found a pacifier and popped it into Mat's mouth, and immediately his eyes started to droop. With a kiss to his forehead, he covered him up in the crib and returned to Becca's side, sitting in the floor beside her.  
  
“Mat was a cute baby,” Braeda said, smiling as he gently took the book from her hands. “I wonder if this one will look like him.”  
  
Rebecca pushed her sleeves up and fanned her face as she worked to get her tears under control. “He was an absolutely precious baby. Never fussy, always grinning… That sweet little toothless grin he had,” she cried into her hands.  
  
It was hard to make out all of what she said, being so overcome with emotion, but Braeda was able to make out 'growing up so fast' and 'slow down time'. He gathered her up in his arms and held her, stroking her back as he thumbed her tears away.  
  
“Hey, he's not going too fast. And think of all the things he can do now that he couldn't do just a little while ago. He can sit up and walk by himself, he's talking more and more everyday- isn't it awesome to know what he's thinking and feeling? He couldn't do that as cute little wiggle worm.”  
  
Rebecca nodded, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “What if he gets upset about the new baby? Like what if he thinks I'm not giving him enough attention and gets mad at me?”  
  
“It'll be an adjustment, for sure,” Braeda said in a soothing voice. “But we all love each other and we'll roll with the punches. It will all work out just fine, I promise.”  
  
All at once, she started laughing and Braeda was nervous all over again.  
  
“I can't believe I got so worked up over something so silly! Of course you're my common sense when I lose my damn mind!” She kissed him on the cheek and got to her feet. “Let me wash my face and I'll get dinner started.”  
  
“Don't worry about it, I got it,” Braeda offered as he stood up. “You just clean up the floor where Mat was sitting and I'll take care of the rest.”  
  
She blinked. “If we're just gonna put him back down there, what's the point in picking it up?”  
  
Braeda started taking his uniform off and shrugged. “There was crumbs from his snacks and a couple of spills. Nothing major.” Rebecca crossed her arms and shifted her weight and he knew he'd said something wrong, somehow.  
  
“Are you implying that I left my son in filth while I had a moment in here?”  
  
“What? No, of course not!” he replied, hanging the jacket and waist wrap on a hanger. “I just thought it would be easier to clean it up while he wasn't in the middle of it-”  
  
“Because of course I can't simply move a small child out of my way, being knocked up and all.” She was frowning at him fiercely and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.  
  
He heaved a sigh of frustration. “Honey, please don't be angry with me. I want to make you happy, just tell me what I can do to help.”  
  
“I'm not helpless, Hey!” she yelled. Her hands were at her sides now, balled up into white-knuckled fists. “Remember, I did this pregnancy thing once already- by myself! I don't need your damn help!” She spun around and stomped out of the room, leaving Braeda to wonder what the blue hell had just happened. He decided to wait a few minutes to give her time to switch gears and calm down some before going on to make dinner. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. “I hope she's not like this for the next eight months...”  
  
By the time he made it out to the living room, the toys had been picked up, the cups, crumbs and spills taken care of, and Rebecca was working on chopping up some carrots to put into a pot boiling on the stove. Carefully, he asked what he could do to help.  
  
“Come here and smell this chicken,” Rebecca replied, her voice having lost the venom from just minutes ago.  
  
He reported to her side at the stove and sniffed at the meat on the cutting board. “Smells fine to me. When did you buy it?”  
  
“Two days ago, but who knows how long it had been there.” She leaned down and smelled it again herself. “You sure it's alright?”  
  
“Yeah,” he assured her. “It doesn't even smell like it's on the edge of going bad. Want me to take over?”  
  
Shaking her head, Rebecca mumbled that she had everything under control, she just wasn't sure of the meat. “Probably gonna be about an hour on these carrots, so I'm gonna roast the breasts and-”  
  
Braeda watched her eyes go wide as she suddenly went silent. He was afraid to ask what was wrong. All at once, she was shoving past him and running for the bathroom. He heard her retching into the toilet and he took a deep breath. Without a word, he went to the linen closet and got out a washcloth and took it to the bathroom to run under some cold water.  
  
“Thanks,” she gasped, taking a moment to breathe before cleaning up her mouth.  
  
“You're having a pretty rough day,” he said, rubbing her back. “Why don't you go lay down and rest and I'll handle dinner.”  
  
“Okay,” she said weakly. She flushed the toilet and when she stood up, she apologized to him. “I'm sorry, my hormones are everywhere and I'm probably freaking you out.”  
  
Braeda chuckled. “We need a code word or something. A word for when something is really wrong and not just normal pregnant stuff so I don't spend the next eight months in a constant state of panic.” He suggested the word banana as they walked to the bedroom, and she hummed in thought.  
  
“Bananas sound really good.”  
  
He groaned. “Oh God, it's a craving!”  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes as she lay down on the bed. “No, bananas with mayonnaise is a craving. Bananas is just bananas.”  
  
“How about banana splits for dessert?”  
  
He grinned when she snuggled into her pillow with a content sigh. “With sweet pickle relish on top.”  
  
“You got it, babe.”  
  
He shut the door on her and went back to the kitchen, taking a moment to clasp his hands in prayer. “Dear God, let us make it through until September.”


	2. She's Got the Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clothes are becoming a problem for Rebecca now that her baby bump is starting to show. While Braeda insists on taking her shopping, she's content in what she's found to cover herself with.

February was almost over. March was just around the corner, and with the changing of the calendar came the hope of sunshine and an increase of warmth in the chilly streets of Central. It also heralded a change in wardrobe, from dark, heavy wool to something a little brighter and less bulky, and in Rebecca's case, something a little roomier.  
  
Braeda noticed it before he left for work one morning. She had a pair of dark blue jeans on- and the button had some kind of extender on it. He didn’t say anything; he was afraid she'd jump down his throat and accuse him of calling her fat. Instead, he wisely waited until he could consult Falman over the phone in private to ask how to approach the maternity clothes situation.  
  
 _“Let her bring it up,”_ Falman warned. _“Anything you say that she doesn't like, she'll probably hang you with.”_  
  
That wasn't much help, and he didn't like seeing her so uncomfortable. He thought about it for a few days before talking with her, saving the conversation for after he'd made love to her and put her in a cheerful mood.  
  
Braeda cuddled her in his arms, eventually resting one big hand on her stomach. “Man, I can't wait to see you start showing,” he commented innocuously. “I think that's when it'll really be real for me, seeing your belly start to curve out because of our little one.”  
  
Rebecca snuggled closer. “I heard that the second time around, you start to show sooner. I was almost four months along when Mat started showing.”  
  
Carefully, Braeda asked, “Have your clothes been getting tighter?”  
  
“A little. Probably just water weight, though. Why, do you think I'm getting bigger?”  
  
Oh, shit. Quickly, he assured her that was not the case. “Actually… I wanna see you in some maternity lingerie.” He hoped that comment would distract her nicely.  
  
A wicked grin spread across her face. “You _dog!_ I should've known you'd be into pregnant women!”  
  
Although that wasn't necessarily the case, he went with it to keep her emotions in check. “Well, who could blame me? I've got the most beautiful pregnant wife in the world!” He went on to let her know that whenever she was ready to go shopping, he would make sure she had plenty of money to go get whatever she needed- clothes, shoes, lingerie- anything.  
  
Rebecca hummed in thought. “Maybe I should go get a few things soon. Especially since most of my pants are already feeling pretty snug.”  
  
Braeda promised to leave her some money in the morning before work and they washed up and went to bed.  
  
The next day, Braeda returned home to find Rebecca and Mat in the floor with some building blocks. Mat ran to him, saying, “Daddy! See the tow-wah! Mommy hepped me!”  
  
Her eyes were bright and smiling- a sign that she'd gotten a good nap in while Mat slept. The blocks were arranged nice and tall and neat, but Braeda was looking past the wooden toys and cheerful expression.  
  
Rebecca was wearing his sweats and one of his old t-shirts.  
  
Of course, the drawstring on the pants was pulled out so far it dangled and the shirt swallowed her whole, but the sight of her in his clothes- something he'd never seen before- warmed something in him that the radiators in their house couldn't reach. She stood up and kissed him, asking how his day was before giving Mat a kiss as well.  
  
“Long and boring. Nothing like coming home to you guys, though. How come you didn't go shopping?” he asked, looking at the sweatpants. “Did you need more money?”  
  
“No, I just didn't feel like going out in the cold today. I might wait until next week. The forecast is supposed to be much warmer and a lot less windy.” Then she paused. “Is it alright if I wear your stuff?”  
  
Braeda grinned. “If you want to wear that for the next seven months, I couldn't care less.”  
  
“Hey! Check this out!” she cried, turning sideways to him. She smoothed the giant shirt down, and there just under her breasts was the little curve he'd been waiting to see. His face lit up as Mat pointed out the obvious.  
  
“Daddy look! Dat's the baby!”  
  
He went to her, put his other arm around her and kissed her temple. “You're so beautiful, Becca. So beautiful and amazing and I can't thank you enough for carrying our baby.” He kissed Mat's cheek. “And for carrying this little guy, too.”  
  
She sighed, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling. “You big softie. Why don't you go get changed and I'll see what we can do about dinner.”  
  
“How about I treat us to some pizza? I'll even let you get your own pie so you can load it up with whatever you're craving today.”  
  
Mat was already pestering him for some 'bed sticks' and 'merra sauce'. He promised him the bread sticks if he would be a good boy and be quiet so Mommy could think. Finally, she gave him her order- black olives, green peppers, mushrooms and anchovies. She laughed at him when he made a face but still took Mat to change his diaper so he could call the pizzeria.  
  
Later that night, after Mat was asleep and the dishes were washed and put away, he and Rebecca sat on the couch listening to the nightly news.  
  
“Thank you for putting up with my weird tastes In pizza,” Rebecca said when an advertisement came on. “Little One and I are stuffed.”  
  
“Are you doing alright? Anything you need?”  
  
She shook her head, threading her fingers into his. “Nope. The morning sickness seems like it's finally stopping, I've got a good routine down with Mat, and I've got the sweetest guy in the world by my side if I need help.”  
  
He leaned down and kissed her, then took a chug of his beer as she chuckled, apologizing for her anchovy breath. “So what are we going to name 'Little One' when he or she is born?”  
  
“I'm working on a list,” she murmured, her voice drowsy. “I'm waiting to let you see it until I've got ten names for each sex. You should make a list, too.”  
  
“Alright.” He patted her hip. “Ready for bed?”  
  
“Mm-hmm.”  
  
He drained the beer bottle and got to his feet. “Shall I carry you, my princess?”  
  
Rebecca stretched obnoxiously, her body arching away from the sofa and making his mouth water. “Yes, Lord Braeda- carry me to our royal bedchambers!”  
  
He squatted down and gathered her to his chest bridal style, the stood up and walked toward their bedroom. Smirking, he commented, “Did you know that sleepy princesses who wear their Lord's clothing are absolutely ravishing and worthy of a royal 'tongue lashing'?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she fell apart laughing.  
  
“Why do you think this sleepy princess chose such frumpy clothes?”  
  
“Go brush your teeth so I can properly enjoy my dessert,” he said, setting her on her feet and tweaking her bottom as she rushed to the bathroom.  
  
But his heart sank as soon as he heard her vomiting in the toilet. Maybe the morning sickness wasn't quite out of her system yet.  
  
“I'll get a washcloth,” he called, deciding maybe just sleeping would be best.


	3. Big Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Braeda asks Mat if he hopes the baby is a girl or a boy, and Mat responds as only a three-year-old can.

Summer was miserable. Blazing heat, high humidity… It was great for Braeda's garden but awful on his very pregnant wife, who only had about eight weeks left until the birth of their first child together. Today was the baby shower, and being the good father he was, Braeda kept Mat at home so his swollen mother could enjoy the afternoon with Riza and the other women.  
  
They'd just finished lunch and Braeda had taken Mat to lie down in the bed with him, and as he snuggled with his boy, they talked about the coming bundle of joy that leaped and kicked inside Rebecca's belly.  
  
“It won't be long and there'll be a tiny baby with us,” Braeda murmured as he ran his fingers through Mat's black hair. “Are you excited?”  
  
“A little,” Mat said with a yawn. “Is it gonna be tiny enough to fit in my hand?”  
  
Braeda grinned. “C'mon, you've seen Mommy's tummy. If it was gonna be that little she wouldn't look any different than she did before we knew there was a baby coming. The baby's whole foot might fit in your hand, though.”  
  
“Oh,” the little boy said with awe. Suddenly, his face turned very serious. “I don't want it to sleep in my bed, it might fall out and get hurt.”  
  
Braeda nodded, his expression just as serious as Mat's. “I think you're right. Maybe we should put it in the crib you used to use instead.” Mat agreed, saying he'd be willing to share his favorite blanket, but not his pacifiers, one of which was laying next to his head on the pillow.  
  
“Do you think it's gonna be a boy or a girl?” Braeda asked, yawning himself now that their meal was settling nicely in his stomach.  
  
“Hmm,” Mat thought. “I don't know. I hope it's a boy though. I can teach him all about being a boy.”  
  
“What if it's a girl?”  
  
Mat shrugged and Braeda chuckled quietly. “I guess I'll have to do my best to teach her how to be a girl.” His eyes lit up. “Mommy's a girl, she can help me! She's really good at being a girl!” He went on to ask his Daddy what he hoped it would be.  
  
Braeda's eyes gazed fondly back at the boy who was not biologically his, but his son all the same. “I don't really care, bud. I have a wonderful son and it would be nice to have a little girl too, but if I get two boys that just means I have to buy two fishing rods instead of one when you're both older.” He watched Mat's eyes start to get droopy and knew he'd be popping the pacifier into his mouth any moment. “Either way, you're going to be an amazing big brother. Your little brother or little sister is going to be so lucky to grow up and play with you.”  
  
“Are you a big brother, Daddy?” he asked, his voice sleepy.  
  
“Nope. My mom didn't have any other babies besides me.”  
  
“What about Mommy? Is she a big brother?” His little hand reached for the pacifier and popped it in his mouth.  
  
Braeda replied with a soft smile, “No buddy, she isn't a big brother at all, not even a big sister. She doesn't have any siblings either, so you get to be the first one in the family to do it.” Mat's eyes closed and Braeda kissed his forehead. “If it's a boy, we're gonna call him Marco, and if it's a girl we're gonna call her Carmen.”  
  
Mat's eyes opened and he jerked the pacifier out. “I like Carmen.” He popped it back in and his eyes got heavy once more.  
  
“We'll just have to wait and see what happens in a few weeks. For now, just get some rest, okay?”  
  
Mat nodded and settled into the pillow even further. Moments later, he was out like a light. Braeda watched him a little while, watching how peacefully he slumbered and how he grinned in his sleep around that damned pacifier that he was so attached to. Braeda was sure the kid would need braces in the future, though Rebecca assured him Mat would give it up before it got to that point.  
  
Finally he closed his eyes and got some sleep himself, dreaming of what the baby's arrival might be like. In this dream, the baby was a girl, and Rebecca was beaming as Braeda led Mat to her bedside. They peeked into the swaddling and saw a beautiful little girl, and as Rebecca was introducing them to her, Mat said, “I _love_ Carmen!”  
  
Rebecca would tell him later that when she came home and checked on them, they were both grinning in their sleep.


	4. Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The baby is coming! And the doctor is late!

Braeda was in the shower when he heard Rebecca yell across the house:

“MY WATER BROKE!”

At first, he stood there in the steamy spray, trying to convince himself that couldn’t have been what she said.  But when she repeated it, louder, he hurriedly cut the water off and wrapped a towel around his hips.  He nearly slipped on the tile floor when his wet feet tried to dash out of the bathroom, but somehow he escaped bodily harm and he sped to where she stood in the kitchen.

Her jaw hung open in surprise as a steady stream of liquid splattered against the linoleum.  Common sense seemed to leave Braeda as he watched helplessly, until Rebecca’s voice cut through the shock of it all.

“Call Dr. Knox, the number’s on the refrigerator.”

Braeda nodded, then turned, lunged at the fridge, and ran to the phone, ignoring Mat who was pointing at his mother and scolding her for ‘peeing in the floor’.

Braeda had to hang up and redial twice before finally getting the right number.  Finally, a very polite woman answered on the other end.

_“Dr. Henry Knox’s office, is this an emergency?”_

“Yes!” Braeda said breathlessly.  “My wife’s going into labor!  Her water just broke in the kitchen, what do I do?  Where do I take her?”

Calmly, the woman replied, _“It’s alright sir, we can do this together.  Take a deep breath- I’m alerting him now.  What’s your wife’s name?”_

“Rebecca Braeda, this is her second baby.”  He heard her wail out in pain and he glanced at the clock.  “Ma’am, I think she’s having her first contraction!”

There was a pause, then a male voice.  _“Mr. Braeda, this is Dr. Knox.  Get her into bed and place a couple of towels under her rump in case her bowels move.  Keep a cool, wet cloth on the nightstand, and leave your front door unlocked, I’m on my way.  Tell Rebecca to concentrate on her breathing while you keep track of how far apart the contractions are.”_

“Okay!  Yes, sir- I can do that!”  He reached behind him and unlocked the door.  “We’ll be here, please hurry!”

He slammed the phone down, grabbed Mat and put him in his bedroom.  He turned the radio on and turned it up to distract him from his mother’s noises.  Then he quickly tugged on some clothes before rushing around to get the things Dr. Knox had requested.  By that point, Rebecca had already had two more contractions and they were getting closer.

“Hey, you’re gonna have to look down there and see if you can see the baby’s head,” Rebecca panted.  “I feel like I need to push!”

Braeda felt lightheaded at the suggestion.  “No!  You can’t push, you keep that kid in there until the doctor arrives!”

“Just look and see- ahhhh!” she shouted as her face twisted with agony.

Braeda made the sign of the cross over his chest, took a deep breath, and looked between his wife’s knees.

Her femininity was swollen, stretched and red, and right in the center of her folds was a mass of wet hair that didn’t belong.

“I can see its head!” he shrieked.  “The head’s right there!”

While he was busy freaking out, Rebecca got her feet under her.  While gripping the headboard, she hunkered down and began to push.  Braeda’s instincts finally kicked in, and he grabbed a clean towel to hold underneath of her.

Then, the head was out and Braeda stared at the miracle of his child emerging into the world.

“I’ve got it from here, Mr. Braeda!” Dr. Knox said, pushing him out of the way, trading him his medical bag for the towel.

With a final push, the baby’s shoulders cleared Rebecca’s opening and the baby slid effortlessly into the doctor’s hands.

And that’s when Braeda fainted.

* * *

“Mr. Braeda?”

Whoever was being so damn formal with him sounded like they were calling out from miles away.  He tried to block the voice out, but they continued to try and call him back to wakefulness.  Braeda was enjoying this nap, why couldn’t they leave him alone?

“Don’t you want to meet your daughter?”

That got his attention.  He took note of the scent of smelling salts and the feel of icy water on his face, then he sat up with a jerk.

A young man smiled at him, the son of that crotchety old doctor that helped Roy with the whole Maria Ross faked death incident.  He offered him a hand to help him to his feet.  “She’s beautiful, come take a look!” he said as he hauled him up.

Rebecca was sitting in the bed, glowing like a star, holding a tiny wrapped up bundle to her breast. 

“She’s got your eyes!” she said with a proud grin.

Braeda felt his chest tighten with all kinds of emotions as the young doctor guided him to the bedside and he peeked at his little girl.

She suckled hungrily, her tiny hand curled around Rebecca’s pinkie, her hair still gunky and plastered to her head.

“Carmen,” he said, voice full of awe.

Dr. Knox clapped him on the shoulder.  “I got here just in time, but it looks like you had everything under control!  You both did great!”

“We did?” Braeda asked, his eyes never leaving the sight of the baby he helped create.

“Sure!  Mother and daughter are perfectly healthy, and I’ve already cleaned your wife up and given her medication to help keep infection away as she recovers.  As for Carmen, she’s perfect in every way.”

Braeda thanked him for his help, thanked Rebecca for the gift of their daughter, for being strong when he fainted and left them all hanging-

“Oh no, Mat’s still in his room!  I’ve got to get him!”

Dr. Knox assured him that as soon as he’d tended to Rebecca, he got the neighbor next door to take Mat for a few hours, at Rebecca’s request.  “He’s playing games and eating cookies- no worries, Mr. Braeda.”

He reminded Rebecca to do a cloth bath on the little girl’s body and to scrub her head with the gentle soap he left for just that purpose.  He bid them good evening and congratulated them again, and let himself out.

Braeda sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Rebecca feed their newborn with great reverence.

“She’s so beautiful,” he whispered.

His wife reached for his hand.  “Thank you.  For everything.”  He hadn’t seen her cry very many times, but at least he expected tears at this occasion.  She sniffled, saying how much easier things had been for her this time around because she had him to help her at every turn, that she was grateful to be a part of his life and vice versa.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead before pulling away and thanking her for the gift of a little girl all his own, one that was his flesh and blood, and for giving him a son that wasn’t his flesh and blood.

The soft suckling sounds slowed and stopped, and Rebecca pulled the baby away from her breast, wiping at her tiny face and showing Braeda what she looked like.

“She still needs a bath, Daddy.  Would you bring me a pitcher of lukewarm water and a big bowl?  I wanna get her cleaned up before Mat comes back.”

Braeda did as he was asked, then watched as Rebecca gently bathed the blood and residue away.  She sang to her as she scrubbed her soft dark hair, then watched as she diapered her and slipped her into a baby gown before wrapping her up in a blanket.

“Now then,” she said with an exhausted sigh.  “You’re all ready to meet Daddy, little one.”  She carefully passed Braeda their daughter, and Braeda almost forgot how to breathe.

Sleepy eyes fluttered and closed, but were open long enough to reveal dark blue irises.  She had a delicate nose (thank heavens), Rebecca’s full lips, and a head full of dark hair.  Rebecca squeezed his arm as she leaned in close beside him.

“We did good, babe.  She’s beautiful.”

Braeda smiled, his big finger coming up to touch her cheek.  “Hello, angel,” he said softly.  The baby’s head turned toward him and she sighed.  He whispered that she was amazing, that Rebecca was amazing, that he was so blessed right now- and that’s when his own tears came. 

Rebecca rubbed his back, shedding a few tears as well while Braeda introduced himself.  “Today is your birthday, little kitten,” he said, grinning through his tears.  “And you’ve made me the happiest man alive today, just by being here with your mama and me, and your big brother, too, when he gets home that is.” 

Carmen opened her eyes and looked around a moment, listening to the new world she was in and taking it all in.  Then she gave a sleepy little grin and both parents nearly puddled in the floor at the cuteness of it all.  She then yawned, and Rebecca noted it might be time for them all to get a little rest in before retrieving Mat from the neighbor and calling everyone to let them know about Carmen’s big arrival.

Braeda placed his brand new daughter in her bassinette and then tended to Rebecca.

“Do you need anything?  A drink?  A snack?”

She shook her head, lying down and pulling the covers over her.  “Just a nap.  Even though that was a fast delivery, it was still a lot of work.”

She asked him to stay with her, get some sleep too, just a few minutes at the very least.  He agreed and snuggled in behind her, resting in the aftermath of such a momentous day.

A few weeks later, when they’d settled into a routine and Mat was more comfortable with all the changes, they brought Carmen and Mat out to Eastern Command and showed off their children.  Braeda beamed with pride for the first time in his life.


End file.
